


A Christmas Story*

by LilyInTheSnow



Series: Darklight [3]
Category: Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Frigga (Marvel) - Freeform, Loki (Marvel) - Freeform, M/M, Odin (Marvel) - Freeform, Thor (Marvel) - Freeform, tom hiddleston - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-02 19:17:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2823110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilyInTheSnow/pseuds/LilyInTheSnow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>*(And the award for least imaginative story title goes to . . .)</p>
<p>Loki surprises Tom for Christmas.</p>
<p>The summary sucks, but that's only because it was difficult to write one without giving too much away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Loki waited until his Light was sleeping soundly then crawled out of bed, tucking his pillow into his love’s arms then tiptoed quietly out of the room, flicking his fingers to dress in his Asgardian attire. Moments later he walked into his mother’s rooms (the rooms she kept to get time away from her slightly overbearing husband) to find her reclined on a chase lounge reading a book that he knew she had read more times than either of them could count. She looked up in surprise when she noticed him and nearly tossed the book aside in her hurry to get to him. He only laughed when she wrapped her arms around him tightly.

“What’s happened? What’s wrong?” She pulled back from him and began running her hands over him looking for wounds.

“Must something have happened or be wrong that I should want to visit my mother?” He asked it with his usual mischievous grin and she sighed and narrowed her eyes to mere slits.

“It has lately, yes.”

“Has it?”

“Sweetheart.” He sighed at the gently admonishing tone.

“I am perfectly fine, Mother. I promise.” He held his arms out and did away with his shirt so she could see he was uninjured and when she nodded, eyes still narrowed, he put it back on.

“What do you want?”

“Would I honestly only come to ask for a favor?”

If it was possible her eyes narrowed even further and she rapped him on the chest with her fist. “Yes. Now, what do you want?”

“I did actually only come to see you,” he told her with a laugh. “The favor I need can only be given by Odin. I wanted to ask what you thought about it first, though.”

“What is it?”

“It’s for Thomas.”

“The apple,” she asked hopefully. Her smile fell when Loki shook his head.

“No.”

He took her arm and walked her to the small sofa that sat under her window and sat her down then began to lay out his plan for Thomas’ Christmas gift. Her expression changed from one of minor annoyance to one of glee by the time he had finished telling her what he wanted to do and she nodded excitedly.

“Oh, Loki. Thomas will love it.”

“Do you think so?”

“Yes, of course. Your father will do ask you request, I’m sure of it. He’s feeling particularly guilty right now.” And she wasn’t above letting her youngest son manipulate that. He probably would have done so without her meddling, but still she would help him where she could.

“About? And since when has Odin ever felt guilty for the things he has done?”

“Not having been the father you needed.” She pointedly ignored her son’s jab at his father. He was only trying to start an argument.

Loki frowned at that then shrugged his shoulders. “He was to Thor and that is good enough for me.”

“It wasn’t always.”

“I had you as both mother and father. I should have realized that was enough far sooner than I did.” Truthfully it was only because of his Light that he had realized it.

“Still, he wants to be here for you now.”

Before he had found his Light, Loki would have told Frigga that it was too little too late. Now he only sighed with a weak smile. “He has been. When I let him.”

“Well, keep letting him. Go speak with him about your surprise. And after it’s done you and Thomas must come let us know how it went.”

“We will, Mother.” She smiled happily then kissed his cheek and waved her hand sending him to his father.

Odin raised a brow when Loki appeared in the anti-chamber of his and Frigga’s rooms. The rooms Odin and his queen shared when she wasn’t upset with him for some reason or another. “Loki?”

The godling, because he always would be to Odin no matter what he did, whipped around to face him and groaned loudly. He had planned on coming to Odin in his own time, though to be honest he had little of it since it was already Christmas Eve. His mother didn’t have to send him directly to Odin.

“Allfather.” Loki resisted the urge to give him a mocking bow and only stood near the door instead.  “I wish to ask something of you. It’s for Thomas.” He quickly added so Odin wouldn’t immediately refuse him.

“What is it?” In truth it didn’t matter what it was. If he could do something for his oft times wayward child he would. If it was for his son’s Light then it would be done even faster. No matter the cost. He hoped Loki didn’t realize that. Even though Loki had changed greatly since he had found his Light Odin realize that underneath it all was still the same mischievous mind and slowly healing heart.

“It’s for his Christmas . . .”

Loki gave his not-father a rundown of what he wanted to do for Thomas that had Odin laughing by the end and Loki almost sighed with relief when the elder god gave his acquiescence and promised all would be done. Loki gave him a grateful smile then started for home.

As soon as he made it back to the house he went upstairs to check if his Light was still sleeping and smiled gently when he saw that Thomas was completely covered by the blankets with only one foot and some of his blond curls visible. Loki changed back into his pajama bottoms and went downstairs to find the laptop his Light had given him for his not-birthday. It was one of the few pieces of technology he didn’t find foul or completely useless. A world of information at the tips of his fingers. Though he had learned not to trust Wikipedia. And he most especially did not trust WebMD when his Light was feeling poorly. A common cold became a centuries old plague that was exceedingly rare at this point in time, but still managed to pop up here and there and made Loki slightly paranoid. His Light had banned him from the laptop for a week the last time he had been ill. But what did Loki know about mortal illnesses?

The god smiled at that and grabbed his laptop from the coffee table and carried it with him into the kitchen. He only needed to learn how to bake before Thomas woke up. Well, that and make eggnog while not drinking enough of it to make himself ill. After that was a few more small surprises that he had planned.

When he found a recipe he liked, one that was similar to something he used to eat as a child, he grinned and made himself an apron that he modeled after his armor and plopped a Santa cap on his head.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the next are pretty much nothing but fluff and totally sappy. The last chapter more so than this.

Tom woke to the smell of something sweet in the air. Something warm with cinnamon and sugar. His Darkness was gone from their bed and a nightlight that Loki had insisted upon the past few weeks was the only light in the otherwise darkened room. Tom still didn’t know why his Darkness needed a nightlight. He wasn’t having nightmares, had never been afraid of the dark, and could see with very little light anyway. He could make his own fire with his magic if he wanted to, so why the nightlight? Not that it bothered Tom, but still he wondered.

“Shit!”

Tom sat up hearing his love cursing from downstairs and glanced at the clock. It was just past four in the morning. Loki had taken to sleeping like the dead until at least ten so why was he awake now? Tom yawned quietly then stood and walked out of the bedroom. He stepped on something small and furry in the hall and jumped with a squeak hoping it wasn’t a mouse then chuckled quietly when he saw that it was one of the catnip filled toy mice that Thor had gotten Loki when he’s managed to change the God of Mischief into a cat. Tom had been finding them randomly throughout the house ever since and suspected that his Darkness was fond of the things. Or maybe he just wanted to leave them lying around to remember being a kitty. Whether those memories were good or bad, Tom didn’t know and didn’t really want to. The gods had finally put it behind them and he didn’t want to bring it up and start Loki VS Thor again.

Then again, maybe Thor was popping in when they weren’t around and leaving the mice randomly scattered throughout the house.

He heard more cursing from downstairs and then banging in the kitchen. He shook his head and started down the stairs, smiling at the alternating green and gold ribbons on the banister. Loki had decided to decorate for Christmas on his own this year. It had taken a few Christmases, but Loki was finally getting into the spirit of the holiday. Even if he did mostly talk about the rum laced eggnog which he had decided he liked, but only in small amounts as it made him nauseous if he drank too much of it.

When Tom stepped into the living room he frowned seeing the couch covered with a white sheet that was covered in the remnants of ribbons, bows, and an obscene amount of glitter that was enough to give any six year old a heart attack. What on Earth was his Darkness doing with all that glitter? Where had he gotten it?

“Fuck!”

Tom chuckled quietly then walked into the kitchen to see Loki dressed in only a pair of green and gold plaid flannel pajama bottoms, an apron Tom couldn’t see the design of, and a red and white Santa cap that sat crookedly on his head. He looked adorable. His Darkness was picking up what looked like snickerdoodles off of a cookie sheet and sitting them on a cooling rack and Tom smiled. Unless Loki had cooked on his own while he had been away Tom knew that his love had never cooked a day in his life much less made biscuits.

“Don’t be burned.”

Tom padded the rest of the way into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Loki’s waist as he rested his chin on the god’s shoulder, peering down at the baking sheet and the mass of biscuits on it. Half of them looked slightly burned, some of them looked raw, and others looked perfect.

“Why are you up so early?”

“Christmas biscuits. Santa. We didn’t leave any out.”

“Sweetheart, I thought you had decided you were permanently on the naughty list.”

“Things change.”

“Of course they do, darling.”

What was Loki doing? He knew Santa wasn’t real. They didn’t have a child to share Santa with, so why was Loki all the sudden baking cookies?

“Don’t patronize me.”

“I’m not, my Darkness.”

“Hmm.” Loki sat the last of the cookies on the cooling rack then shrugged away from his Light and moved back to the retched oven that was intent on ruining his Christmas surprise for Thomas. He pulled the last cookie sheet from the oven with his bare hand, wincing at the heat and tossed it onto the counter, making his Light jump and gasp.

“There are kitchen towels and pot holders for that Loki! You’ll burn yourself.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Loki held up his hand, wiggling his fingers to show Thomas that the slight burns were already gone, then closed the oven door and made sure he turned the vile thing off. Never again, he decided. From now on his Light could bake things.

“Of course it does.” Tom took his Darkness’ hands in his own and kissed the tips of his fingers. “What’s gotten into you?” Tom almost grinned when he saw that Loki’s apron was styled after his armor. He was so adorable. God if Loki heard himself called adorable he’d strangle whoever said it.

“It’s Christmas.”

“Yes.”

“I’ve been a fool. I always do something wretched around holidays with you.”

“You make up for it a thousand fold. You always do.”

“Still.”

Loki gave his Light a quick kiss then turned to start plucking the hot biscuits from the baking pan with his fingers and dropping them on the cooling rack.

“Are you pregnant? Can you get pregnant? Is that all mythology?” Tom didn’t know any other reason for his Darkness’ strange behavior. He only knew that his sister had started acting strangely when she was pregnant and wasn’t almost four years into a relationship too late to be wondering about pregnancy and potential children? He was certain it was all a myth anyway.

Loki laughed hysterically and shook his head. “You’re an idiot, my dear Thomas. Of course I’m not. I should think if I could get pregnant I would have already done so by now.”

That was certainly true. “Why the change of heart about holidays?”

“As I said, I’ve been a fool.”

Loki turned from the multitude of biscuits and went to the fridge, opening the door to pull out a punch bowl full of eggnog. His Light took the bowl from him and sat it on the table next to the two glasses that were sitting there.

“Sweetheart, what happened?” Something had to have happened.

“Nothing. I swear it. I only wish to celebrate with you.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes, yes.” Loki waved away Thomas’ worry then picked up the ladle and filled the glasses with the cold eggnog that he had added copious amounts of spiced rum to. Next he pulled a plate from the cupboard and started piling biscuits on it. Once he was done he carried the plate into the living room and sat it on the coffee table. “Come along, my Light.”

Tom walked into the living room carrying the two glasses of eggnog and smiled brightly when he saw that his Darkness had lit the Christmas tree with tiny unearthly green and gold spheres that danced softly.

“It’s beautiful, Loki.” The god only smiled softly and took one of the glasses from him and sat it on the table next to the plate of snickerdoodles. “Are you going to leave Santa a letter?”

“He’s already been informed of what I wish for.” Tom chuckled quietly then let Loki drag him back upstairs to the bedroom. “Go back to sleep, my love.” Loki murmured it as he guided his Light back to their bed.

“I can’t. I’m awake now.”

“I believe that Santa will refuse to come until you are asleep.”

Tom laughed again the lay down, snuggling against his pillow. What was his Darkness planning? “Lay down with me?”

“Soon. I have to put the eggnog away.”

“I hope you don’t mean drinking all of it. You know it makes you ill.”

“Of course not. I have a glass right here.” Loki took a sip out of the glass then leaned down and gave Thomas a gentle kiss. “Go back to sleep.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's sappy and squishy and probably a bit dweeby, but meh. It's Christmas.

Tom woke later that morning to what sounded like a horse downstairs. He sat up, pulling away from his Darkness when he heard something clomping around the living room. “Loki. Loki wake up! There’s something downstairs.” He shook the god and yelped when Loki sat up and bumped into him, knocking him off the bed to the floor. “Ow.”

“I’m sorry, my love. What’s wrong?” Loki lifted his Light from the floor and smiled as Thomas rubbed his elbow.

“It sounds like there’s a horse downstairs.”

Loki grinned at that then stood and grabbed his Santa cap and put it on then took his love’s hand and dragged him out of the room. “It’s Christmas!”

Tom frowned as he stumbled after his love. What had Loki so excited about there possibly being a horse in their living room? Several horses it sounded like as he heard the clomping again. He allowed himself to be dragged down the stairs and gasped audibly when he saw not only that there was indeed a horse in their living room but it was Odin’s warhorse. It was currently standing in front of the fireplace eating straw from a pair of boots that Loki must have set out after Tom fell asleep. Odin was stroking the horse’s neck gently as he waited for it to finish. In his hand he held a leather sack that clanked as he moved it. When the horse was done eating the straw Odin laughed quietly then moved to the boots and reached into the leather bag.

Tom and Loki watched as he placed handfuls of candies and small toys in them then topped it all off with an intricately designed dagger in each one. Next he moved to the tree and sat a stack of heavy leather bound books under it then leaned a short sword that matched the daggers against them. The horse moved to the coffee table and sniffed after the snickerdoodles, nipping a couple from the plate while Odin wasn’t looking. The elder god turned and chucked as he patted the horse affectionately then snagged a few of them for himself then drank half of the eggnog. He sat the half-empty glass back on the table then mounted the eight-legged beast and was gone.

“What?” Tom sat on the last step and pinched himself certain that he was dreaming or having some sort of hallucination. “Your daddy. . . There was a horse? Santa?”

Loki giggled, (he didn’t just giggle, it was a manly laugh) and sat next to his Light.

“Odin is Santa Claus?”

“Yes, love.”

“Since when?”

“Always.”

“But.”

“Not so much in recent times, but ages ago. Who you know as Santa Claus is based off of Odin. When Paganism was being replaced with Christianity paying homage to Odin was forbidden and the Santa as you know him took his place. Well, there was that mess with the soda company turning him into a portly fellow in a tacky red and white suit back in the 1930’s.”

“Does your daddy still visit the good little Pagans?” Jesus, was he really going along with this? His future father-in-law was Santa. Was just in their living room eating snickerdoodles, drinking eggnog, and leaving gifts in a pair of boots and extras under the tree and then rode away on his eight-legged warhorse.

“Maybe.” Loki grinned down at his Light the noticed how pale he was. “Are you well?”

“I’m not sure. I mean, yes I’m fine. I just . . . I wasn’t expecting this.”

“It’s one of my gifts for you. I asked him for this.”

“You did?”

“Yes, love. Are you sure you’re well?” Thomas did look quite pale and was swaying where he sat. He looked like he might faint. “We can’t have that.” Loki stood then picked up his Light and carried him to the couch then sat him down. “Stay.”

“Sure.” Tom was staring at the boots next to the fireplace as Loki walked into the kitchen to get him a glass of rum and then slid down to the floor and crawled to them. He reached forward and grasped the hilt of the shining silver dagger and gasped as it quickly warmed in his palm. It started to glow and he opened is hand to see his name swirling along the hilt. It was stunning.

“Sweetheart, I told you to stay.” Loki crouched down next to his Light and smiled down at the dagger that rested in his shaking hand. “Drink this.”

“Thank you.” His words were little more than a breathy whisper as he took the glass and Loki gave him a gentle smile.

“You’re welcome, love.”

“I don’t mean for the drink. Well, that as well, but for this.” Tom waved his hand about the living room and Loki grinned.

“You are most welcome, Thomas.”

“I think it’s the best Christmas surprise I’ve ever gotten. Strange. Slightly overwhelming. But still the best.”

“We’re not done yet.”

“We’re not?” Tom watched his Darkness stand then let him pull him from the floor. He motioned for Tom to follow and led him to the tree. Loki took the small half empty glass of rum from him and took a sip then magicked it to the kitchen.

“I’ve been an idiot, Thomas. I’ve put you through so much this year. All the years we’ve been together. Anyone else would already have been rid of me.”

Tom smiled as his Darkness spoke and couldn’t help but think how beautiful he looked in the glowing lights from the tree. His emerald eyes shining, the lights glinting on his hair. The Santa cap looking like it was fixing to fall from his head. His pale skin bathed in green and golden light.

“Thomas.”

“Hmm?”

“I have a gift for you. Something that will hopefully make up for some of what I’ve done.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything else. I have already forgiven you, my love. And all of this is more than enough. I know how much you had to swallow your pride to ask Odin to do this.”

“Even so.” Loki shrugged one shoulder then reached into the tree branches and pulled out a small black box. Tom swallowed nervously wondering what it could be and nearly fainted when Loki dropped down to one knee.

“I believe it is customary to do this upon one knee. Something akin to begging?” He was unable to resist one last jab at the formality he had once found ridiculous and Tom let out a watery laugh.

“Loki.”

“Hush now, my Light.”

“Okay.”

“I love you, so very much, my darling. You have given me much more than I deserve. You’ve given me a new start. A connection to the family that I believed lost to me. Even Odin. You have given me a place to call home. A light and love to call my own. You gave me light when I only ever wanted the darkness that surrounded me. I’m afraid I have done nothing to deserve such things, but I will love you and worship you until the end of time. When all that remains is darkness you will ever be my Light.”

Tom swallowed heavily, tried to blink back tears, and failed miserably. He was nearly sobbing like a baby and when his Darkness opened the box he saw an intricately detailed ring with emeralds and some kind of blue stone that he knew matched his own eyes. The gems shone with a stunning eerie inner light that Tom knew his Darkness had done and the band was of glimmering gold bands that intertwined and shone and sparkled as much as the stones did. Had Loki made the entire thing? Of course he had. Nothing from a store would have been good enough in the god’s eyes.

“I ask for one more thing I fear I don’t deserve. Will you allow me to continue to be your Darkness for all of eternity?”

Tom nodded, unable to speak, and his Darkness gave him a blinding smile and slid the ring onto his finger. Tom almost giggled then pulled Loki out of the floor and wrapped his arms around him tightly. “I love you.”

“And I you.” Loki kissed him gently then walked to the couch and picked up a corner of the ribbon and glitter covered sheet. “An engagement gift.”

Tom nodded with a gentle smile and Loki pulled the sheet from the sofa with a flourish, sending ribbons and glitter sparkling in the air. When it died down Tom saw that the couch, their new couch, was gone and the sofa that Loki had despised so much and had helped Thor destroy had taken its place looking good as new.

Tom laughed quietly and gave his fiancé a quick kiss. “I have a confession, my love.”

“What is it?”

“I hate that couch. I’ve always hated it. It’s miserable.” Tom bit back a laugh at the affronted look on his Darkness’ face. The exasperation and almost anger amidst a sea of shock.

“Then why?”

Tom shrugged with an impish smile. “You’re not the only mischievous person in this house.”

“Four years, Thomas! Four years I’ve been begging you to be rid of this vile thing and you kept it only to drive me insane with wanting it gone?”

“Yep.”

Loki pouted petulantly then sighed with resignation. “I’m impressed. Also, I could kill you if you weren’t so brilliant.” Tom laughed as his Darkness pulled him into a tight hug.

“No you wouldn’t. You love me too much. Can I have the new couch back?” Loki waved his hand sending the miserable piece of furniture up in a flash of flames and the new couch was in its place when they died down. “Let’s go back to bed.”

Tom and Loki lay in bed together hours later, neither of them having let go of the other. Tom’s head rested on Loki’s chest over his heart and Loki had one arm wrapped tightly around Tom’s waist and the other around his shoulders his hand threading through Tom’s curls. Tom couldn’t help but stare at the ring that had become his most valuable possession as he spun it around his finger with this thumb. Aside from Loki’s heart anyway.

“I guess we can tell your mum that I’m finally ready for one of those apples she keeps trying to force me to eat.” Loki’s hand stilled in his hair.

“Do you mean it?”

“Of course.” Tom lifted his head and brushed his lips over Loki’s. “Happy Christmas, my Darkness.”

“Happy Christmas, my Light.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Odin is Santa mythology is used a bit loosely, but it's still nifty and interesting info if you wanna dig it up. There's also a cute little comic type thing that you can find [here.](http://infolocata.com/mirovia/irrefutable-proof-that-santa-is-odin/)
> 
> Also thanks for the views and kudos and stuff. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, etc. <3


End file.
